Paper fastener



March 20, J. Q BROWN PAPER FASTENER Filed March 10, 1943 Patented Mar.20, 1945 UNITED sTATE's. PAT

PAPER. FASTENER John Clark BroWn MontcIair, NfJ assignor to 5 3 3Eastern Tool 6; Mfg. 00.. -Bloomfield,..N. 1., a] corporation of NewJersey p Application March n; 1943; Serial No. 5.79. 31 1 j t 50mins,(o1. ziiserj f I This invention relates to an improved paper fastenerfor use in fastening loose sheets together,

, and particularly to a paper fastener structure suitable forconstruction from'fiber materiaLj '1 Paper fasteners ordinarily comprisea base possessed the necessary strength and the neces' sary ability toretain its shape after bending which would give a paper fastener capableof holding papers firmlytog'ether. 9

' It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a new paperfastener construction which, may be made of a relatively stifffibermaterial and which is so designed at thepoints of stressfas to provide afastener suffioiently strong to withstand the. stresses to which it rnaybe subjected without tearing of the fiber material and without slippingof the joint between the compressor and the tongues of the base member.

It is a further object to providean improved compressor memberconstructed ior improved locking engagement with a tongdeof a basemernber of "a paper fastener. I g v It. is a. further object to providean improved form of base member having improved resistance to "tearing.s 1

Other objects will in part be described herein after and in part shownin the accompanying drawing, in which: I m

Fig. l is a perspective view of an improved paper fastener involving theimprovements ;of' my invention. H Q Fig. 2 is a top planview of acompressormember according to my'invention. Y p

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewof a base member accordingto my invention. ml mm Fig. 4- is a fractional enlarged sectional el eva tion taken on theline 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional end elevation taken on the line"5--'5 ofFig; 4. t

Fig.6 is'aplan view showing amodified form or compressor according to myinvention.

Fig. '7 is a fractional enlarged sectional eleva tion showing thecooperation of. "a base member.

and thecompressor shown in Fig. 6.

Figs. 8 and Qare plan views showing modified? tances I from itsrespective nearest locking'slot t8.

have provideda new paper fastener structuresu'itable for fabrication"from fiber 1 material and comprising a novel cooperating base member Itand compressor memberili; The base member I 0 has been designed with a:new contour which eliminatesrupturecenters; soth'at :itis] ofsufiicient strength for use in'c'ooperation with acorn-5 pressor memberto form azstnongz fastener device. for securing papers togetherw The.compressor member involves improved new structuralieatures whichcooperate with ia; base memberand particularly with a fiber base memberto lockthe tonguesi l-of thebase firmlyfin thedesired place, andto-preventsli pihgoi the fiber "tongues, notwithstandingrelativeweaknessof fiber material; as contrasted with metal heretofore.consid-.

ered essential." 1

. Referring to the draw-ing,"Fig. 1 illustrates a paper fastenerassembly fcomprising a base mem be! I 0 which may em fibrous material,and-a compressor I2. whihh also may be of fibrous materialjengagingthetongues: M' at theends of the base member "HT. and locl ring thosetongues l4 firmly in place so that thebasemember I 0 and compressormember 12 ar e firmly held in fixed spaced relation. The compressor-"member I 2 shown in Fig. 2

comprises stifffiber material preferably. formed with stiffening ridges1'6 extending lengthwise alongthe edges thereof." Lockingslots rs, tpref erably in a curved shape which may be sdbstantiallyarcuate, are cutby'a die without removal ofmaterial. Theslotsare disposedj adjacent' opposite ends ofjthe compressor member for the reception of basemembertongues M; shown in Fig. 4, the diecu'ts form lipls' ZWwhich maybe bentout of the plane offthe compressor i2 and which cooperate withftheopppsededges 22''of the slots "I 8 as described below. to resistwithdrawal of tongues whichmay be" inserted throughth'e slo'tsi Pairsof] opposed tongue-holding lips, 24

and Z B'near onejend "of thecompressor; and 24" and '28 nearthjot erend,are formed at the longitudinal sides of the compressor member 12; andthe lips of each paifiare spaced different dis thejlocking slots l 8 ofthe'compressormember i2;

and. preferably having 'stiffening ribs 30 pressed intheifib'ermaterialextending lengthvriseoftlie H center portion 281adjacentthe edges. litboth a conformation which has been found to distribe ute the stresswhich would normally be localized at these points, and to eliminaterupture points.

As shown in Fig. 3, this curved contour preferably f comprises asubstantially arc-like portion tangent to the tongue and curvingsmoothly outward until it joins the edge of the wide center portion.

The assembly of the above described base member l and compressor memberl2 and the locking action'of-the slotson the tongues 4 of thebasemember'are shown in Fig. 4. This figure shows only the left-hand portionof the fastener assemj bly, since the compressor," is substantially thesame at both ends. It will be understood that the'tongue's M andcompressor l2 of the fastener. are in'the same relationship at the rightend as at the left end. As shown "in the drawing, the tongue portion |4at the left end of .the base member I0 is bent up at right angles as itwould be for the reception of a pileof papers which would be insertedover the tongues. The tongue l4 extends upwardly through the lockingslot 18,

and is beritfover around the lipmember 20 to a position parallel and injuxtaposition to the upper face of the compressor member. A'portion 36of the tongue 14 is-displaced out of alignment with the slot I 8 by theend of the locking lip 20, so that downward withdrawal movement of thetongue is resisted by the displaced portion 36 of the tongue M. 'The lipmember: 20 is flexible so that any withdrawal movement of the tongue 14from the slot |8' moves the lip'20downwardly and exerts a squeezing,braking action between theend of the lip member 20 and the oppositeedge22 of the slot 1 8, which effectively prevents further .withdrawal ofthe tongue-from the slot, Also the tongue is bentfsharply aroundtheendof-the lip 'member' so that the stifiness of" the tongue 'aids andstrengthens the joint. A I To hold the tongue l4 firmly in place flatagainst the compresso1 I2, the tongue-holding lipimembers 24 and 2B arepositioned and spaced different distances from the slot "3-. The spacebetween the slot l8 and the closest tongue-holding lip member 24is'suchthat the edge of the tongue M can be.introducedibeneathfthelipmember 24lloy twisting-the tongueangularly counterclockwise abouttheslot, depressing it, andslipping it underneath the lip member, 24;

and the space between the lip member 28 and the,

lip member 24 Land slit :6 issufiicientrthat the tongue |4 -can beinsertedbeneatnthe second tongue-holding lip member 26 by twisting thetongue 1 4 angularly clockwise "about the slot, and then slipping theedge ofthetongue 'und'er the edge of the secondllip manner; As' bestshown in;Fig.- the endsof thelip members 24 and 26 are spaced from the lateral center of the Zoompressor. a distance substantially'correspondingto half the width of the rib 34' on'th'e tongues I4 and cooperate tohold-theftongue l4: firmly 'in'place. It isalsonoted :that the laterali'stre'ngthening I f ribs H5 at the sides o'f th e compressor 2 engagethe edges of the tongue l4 and also resist lateral displacement of thetongu I4.

It is to be understood that it is not necessary that the lockingengagement between the tongue 28 there are provided concave curved edges32 of and compressor be the same at both ends, but that one form oflocking engagement, e. g., similar to that above described, may beprovided at one end of the compressor, and another form at the other: Acompressor 40 givingthis locking actiori is shown in Fig. 6, and themodified locking action is shown in detail in Fig. '7. As'shown in Fig.6, the left-hand end of the compressor 40 is identical with that of thecompressor l2 shown in Fig. 2, and functions in exactly the same way.

The right hand of the compressor 40 involves :an arcuate slot 42 similarto the slot previously f described, but differing from that slot in thatthe lip 44, formed by the cut is bent downwardly from the plane of thecompressor. In the assembly of a base member I!) with this compressor(see 7), the tongue ,member I4 is bent over around the outside of theend. 4| of the compressor. and projects downwardly through the lockingslot 42 in the compressor, and then exwhich will ultimately betheleft-hand side, at the right, and inserting the right-hand tongue l4of thebase member l0 through the locking slot 42 and bringingtheend 4|ofthe compressor member down intocontact with a pile of papers to befastened by the paper fastener. The compressor pressor, bending the,tongue member l4 to the conformation above described and locking thetongue l4 and compressor 40 firmly together. As shown inthe drawing thearcuatelocking slot 42 forms a locking tongue member 44 which-isdepressed below the :plane of the compressor, and

which presses the tongue M of the basemember inserted through the slotso that portions 460i it extend outof. alignment with the slot and serveto resist withdrawal of the tongue from the slot. Also, because oftheflexibility of the lip member 44 any withdrawalmovement of the tonguemem pressor.

be M bends the lip member backtowards a position in alignment with thecompressor, and exerts a sharp squeezing braking action between the endof thelip member 44and the opposite edge of the slot which effectivelyprevents withdrawal of the tongue from. the slot. It is particularly tobe noted that in the joint formed at the right-hand of. the compressormemberas above described, the tongue is bent sharply around the edge ofthe locking slot 42, and also'bent sharply (almost 180) around thelocking tip 44 to provide an exceptionally satisfactory lockingengagement. I I

According to anotherembodiment of my invention (see Fig. 8), thecompressor may have a locking slot 50 comprising -.a simple straightline out 52 having cross cuts54 at the ends thereof to form arectangular tongue 56 of which the free end is bent out .offithe -planeofthe com- This compressor will be used in subs'tantially thesame way asthe preferred form. i. e., a tongue l4 of a fastener base ID will extendupwardly through the locking slot 50 and will be aermeoo the fiasteneribase iwhi-ch' w'illibe inserted therethroughvin ia downwarddirection''and m1l"be rh'eld thereby paralleleand in juxtaposizti'onto'the :com-

pnessor.

iwhenusubjected=to'stress,-hoth the compressor having varcuatevloeking:s'l-ots :and the compressor having ta square cut locking tongue lwill"resist withdrawal :of "the *tongue up "to the point "Where thellipllzofithexarcuate locking slot' or the tongue 55 iOf ssquare flout locking:slot is pulled back through the "opening and bent [below th'e' plane-df the compressor. fLI t islfound in practice that with thessquaredieicut ithe'r tonguei fi acts like a hinge' andtpulls :through' thelocking slot at muz'lh lower stresses than deas the slip 20;: ofthe:arcuate lockingslot. apparently due to twomeohanieal advahtagesIpreserit in ithe arcuate lodldin'g slot. In the first' iplaoe, itwillibe apparent that the dongerthe flip or tongue' the more 'stookthere isto=1be compressed 01" b'erit' by' 'stress, and the weakerithelookingaetion. 'EEn the arouateout the length of the lip as measuretifrom the linemenneotingits bas'es, i.= e., the' 'aends of the lockingslot, progressivelydecreases towards the sides of the iloeking lip'ZO sothat the tongue 'is strongest and :exerts'uits most effective Hocking:action fiat thessides, whereas in Ja 'ssqu'are icutdookihgrs'lot thelength'of zthe tongue :at the square shoulders is the isame asaatsthearcenterof the'tongue, :so :that there iisanot obtained theincreased strength of locking action. lin the second splace, in'dzheEar: mates-locking slot every pontion'cof the edge of the docking lip'22!) is-snpported uatqboth si'de's against bending, twhereasizln'ther-squarexcutilocking slotthefsideswQf the square shoulders of the tonguefis are unsupported.

The above advanced explanations of the very mnoh greater lookingstrengthwef 'the :arcuate locking slot over the "square cut :lockedslotare merely advanced as theories and 'rprohab'ly explanetary of theimproved :aiction of the 'arcuate slot. bound by these theoriesmsincethe aactualfact is that the arcuate looking slot doesigive astrongerjoint :(up to50%"stronger) nowmatter what-the true explanation may ;be.

However, While the square cut-locking :slot is not as effioient-or,satisfactory as the arcuate slot, it possesses sufiicient strength forsome uses and applicant does notwish to 'be understood as exeluding thisconstruction from the :scope iof those of the claimsa-ppended hereuntowhich aremot limited :to the arcuate slot, f

"In the embodiments above x descri-b'ed, the roompressor has :beendescribed as having the free :end of the locking lip or tonguememberbent from the plane of the compressor. It :is not, rhowever, necessarythat the lip or tongue be'bent in the manufacturingoperation, and only asimple out may be formed in the compressor. Where the locking tongue orlip is not bent during manufacture, it may be lifted upwardly, forexample,

tApplioant does not wish (however, to be simple the ioutswvithoutremoval of any material along =the line of out, rsince it'ris found thatwith the ordinary Ifib'erva t'b'etter-flockingiacti'onibetween the-tend.of the ilip member and the =opposite edge o fsthe rslotrisremained-thereby. However, it may be i. ound with ro'tl'rer {materials}or l to suit manuf-aeturin'g conveni'enoe, 1 that it is'desirable toremove istmre amount I of nia'terial {in inaking the lookingfs'lotj anditis to belundersto'od that sueh construction is rconsidered within thescope of the present inventiom'mrbvided that the space between theopp'osite edge of f'the' slot and the end of the ilip -member is such asto secure flocking a'otion isuch' as above described.

Piother forms of tongue-holdinglips may beemployed. -As 'shown 'inl igiiljthese may comprise lipfin'erribers extending from the side of tliecompressdrtz and spaced rrom the ends-of the compressor, underwhi'oh lipmembers 6 ll tongues lfl 'of a base meiliber tnmay b'e iriserted to holdtlie tongues llinfplade. Ihese tongue-holding members hold the tonguesresiliently in depressed position so ithat the edges of th'etongues 4abut the strengthening ridges 63 at the "sides of the e'or npr'essor 'tojassi'st in hold-ing the "tongues in place. 'lt'ha's been found" highlydesirablef that both of the tongue-holding lips fi'll be-disposedmn thesame side of the compressor as shown inEig.

a ena thatiwhen-sudh a compressor 'isass'ernbled V w b emem'be'i thattheoompressor'bepositiorie'd with' the' ton -holding"-lips tllprojecting away i rom the inai o'dy of thepapers enclosed inthetpaper-fa'stener. *By thisarrangement, appli'caii t has found thaitistress on the paper fats-- ten'ers tends "to move the tongues T4 i nto"olosier engagement with the tongue-holding -1i'ps B0,

whereas arrangement ofthe tl'a'n'gue-holdirrg lips 60 on opposite''sides d'f the-compressor or arrangement of the -'compressor member withthe lipholding memberseiitending down towards the body of the paper willresult in 'displacement or the t'ongue I d from underthe tongue-moldinglips 60 when*thep'ape1thSteher is siibjec'ted to stress.

the applicant has provided a ne w type "of paper fastener "suitable *forcons'tructidn o'f fiberQhaVing improved tongue looking andtongueho'ldmg' devices, while involving very simple construction and a minimumof separate' parts. Actual tests of thefiber fastener in comparison"with other typesof other fiber paper fasteners have demon stratedconclusively "that thef-present paper fastener possesses *'an*exeeptiorially high paperholding ability. Ina *standardtest forstrength of the pa'perTastenersyasheaT 'o'fiB A2 X 11 papers are -boundtogether bym'eans of a paper fastener. The free 'ends of the 's'hee'tsof papen'are per-- forate'd and .a cord -pa'ss'ed through half of thesheets andisecured "to a support, and a second cord ispassedtlnoug-h'the remainingisheets and conneetedto a weig' htxso thatthe" sheaf =Jof papers is spread open similar to the opening of a "book,to *ex er't rupturing stres's on the paper fastener. With previousfibe'r fasteners, a weight of three tofour pdurrds"wi1l usually cause "aslippage of from to inch, and inmost fiber :fasteners' underweight of'ahout 8 pounds the tongues will pull entirelyeway from the compressor,letting the' t wo se'otions of the paper fallaparta With the newfiberfastener involving the combination tically noslippage,..even'at-weights up :to 18' pounds. It is pointed outthat' thebase member -capable of standing high stresses departs from thecustomary diagonally extending shoulder be-. tween the tongues and widecenter portion of the base-member, and uses a concave curve tangent tothe tongue which prevents rupture. This is contraryfto accepted practicewhichhas'heretofore regarded it as important to provide a definiteshoulder to prevent displacement of bound papers onto the base, butrithas been found that because of the type of bend formed in fibermaterial, the improvededge contour at this point satisfactorily avoidsthis difliculty.

' Numerous modifications may be made in the structure shown in-theattached drawing and described hereinabove. For example, the base mightbe madein two or more sections, e. g., with the tongue portions separatefrom the wider portion of vthe'base. It is to be understood that thepresent invention is not to be restricted to the specific embodimentsshown,but is intended to cover all structures which as a matter oflanguage may be held to fall within the claimsappended hereto.

V The term r fiber as used in thespecification and claimsis intended toinclude not only, the material technically known as fiberf but alsosimilar relatively stiff strong material, preferably of fibrous nature.

I claim: i r

1. A paper fastener constructed of fiber matejacent each end, in whichare disposed the tongues of the base member, an edge of the slot at oneend being formed to provide a lip of which the free end engages thetongue disposed in theslot and cooperates with the opposed edge of theslot to resist withdrawal movement of the rial comprising a base memberand a compressor member cooperating therewith, said base member having awide center portion and long narrow end portions forming paper-engagingtongues, a raised rib extending lengthwise of the tongues, and smoothlycurved edges tangent to the tongues joining the center portion and thetongues of said base, and said compressor member being formedto providean arcuate slot adjacent each end in which are disposed the tongues ofthe base member, an edge of each slot providing a lip of which the freeend engages the tongue disposed in theaccidental displacement of thetongue, the lips of ea of said pairs of lips being spaced from their resg ective nearest slots lengthwise of the compressor at difierentdistances, whereby the spaces between said slots and the closest lipsand between the closest lips and second lips are sufficient forinsertion of the tongue under the successive lips by angular movement ofthe tongue.

2, A paper fastener constructed of fiber material comprising a basemember anda compressor member cooperating therewith, said base memberhavingv a wide center portion and long narrow end portions formingpaper-engaging tongues, a raised rib extending lengthwise of thetongues, and smoothlycurved edges tangent to the tongues joining thecenter portion and the tongues of said base, and said compressor memberbeing formed to provide an arcuate slot adtongue, the compressor memberalso comprising lip members extending over the compressor from oppositelengthwise sides thereof, said lip mem-' bers being constructedandarranged to engage said tongue, which-tongue is bent to a positionparallel to the compressor, and to hold the tongue beneath them toprevent accidental displacement of the tongue, said lips being spacedfrom the slot lengthwise of the compressor at different distanceswhereby-the spaces between saidslot and the closest lip and between theclosest lip and the second lip are sufiicient for insertionof the tongueunder the successive lips by angular movements of the tongue, an edge ofthe slot in the compressor member adjacent the other end being formed toprovide a lip of which the free end is adapted to engage a tongueinserted through the slot and to cooperate with the opposite edge of theslot to resist upward movement of the tongue, the second tongue of saidbase extendingaround the end of the compressor and downwardly throughthe slot in locking engagement with the lip and the edge of the slotopposite the lip, and then extending parallel and in juxtapositionwiththe inn-er face of the compressor.

3. A paper fastener comprising a base member and a compressor membercooperating therewith, said base member having a wide center portion andlong narrowlend portions forming paperengaging tongues; and saidcompressor being formed to provide an arcuate slot adjacent one end forthe passage of a tongue of the base member, an edge of said slot beingformed to provide a lip of which the free'end is adapted to engageatongue inserted through the slot and to cooperate with the opposed edgeof the slot to resist upward movement of the tongue, said base andcompressor being assembled with a tongue of said base extending aroundthe end of the compressor and downwardly through the slot in lookingengagement with the lip and the edge of the slot opposite thelip, andthen extending inwardly parallel and in juxtaposition to the inner faceof the compressor.

4. A paper fastener compressor member arcuately cut to form'a slotadjacent eachend of the compressor, an edge of the slots at each endproviding resilient lips of which the free end of the lip at one end isbent upwardly and the free end of the lip atthe other end is bentdownwardly from the plane of said compressor, the width of said slotsbeing such that said lips frictionally engage tongues inserted throughsaid slots and cooperate with the opposed edges of the slots to resistwithdrawal movement of the tongues.

- 5. A paper fastener compressor member arcuately cut to form a slotadjacent each end of the compressor, an edge of the slots at each endproviding resilient lips of which the'free ends are bent upwardly, thewidth of said slots being such that said lips frictionally engagetongues inserted through said slots and cooperate with the opposedwithdrawal movement

